Electrophotographic devices such as printers, scanners, copy machines, facsimile machines, and the like typically include a variety of components, including at least a scanning unit for imaging a document to be copied or scanned. A control panel, the appearance and design of which varies widely from device to device, may also be provided to allow a user to input the desired commands to the device. Such devices typically include also one or more photoconductive members, such as a photoconductive drum or belt, which may be charged to a substantially uniform potential for transfer of a latent image thereto.
In general terms, a conventional electrophotographic device scanning unit exposes the photoconductive member to a light image of a document, drawing, or other image to be transferred to media, providing an electrostatic latent image of the document. The latent image is then developed by applying a developer such as a dry, granular toner, although a liquid developer may also be employed. The toner electrostatically adheres to the latent image, and is then transferred to a media sheet passed thereover. The toner may then be fused to the media sheet by application of heat. Of course, toner of one or more colors may be used, in accordance with the user's preference for a black-and-white only image or a color image.
As is well known in the art, electrophotographic devices may include also one or more media output options to which media sheets bearing a copied or scanned image are output for retrieval by a user. Media output options may be as simple as a single tray or bin to which a media sheet is output, or may be more sophisticated options for presenting a finished product, that is one or more media sheets containing copied images. A non-limiting list of examples of such media output options may include a multi-bin “mailbox” or sorter output option, which segregates individual collated copies of a copied or scanned multi-page document in separate trays or bins after a copying or scanning action. Similarly, offset stacker output options are known, wherein collated media sheets forming multiple copies of a particular multi-page document are delivered to and vertically stacked in a single tray without fastening or segregating in different bins or trays, but wherein each copy of the multi-page document is slightly offset from both the preceding and the following copy for ease of retrieval. Similarly, it is known to provide an automated fastener output option such as an automated stapler, for fastening multiple collated media sheets forming a single multi-page document.
The scanning unit, light source, photoconductive member, and media trays are typically considered essential components of an all-in-one electrophotographic device. In other words, without at least those basic items, the electrophotographic device cannot perform its most basic function of transferring an image from one media sheet to one or more different media sheets. Accordingly, those items are typically provided internally of the electrophotographic device housing. Similarly, a source of toner or other developer is typically provided internally of the housing. That is, a particular “footprint” and external dimension are defined for the electrophotographic device. That footprint and external dimension determine the amount of horizontal and vertical space, respectively, required to accommodate the device, and the items listed above are typically positioned within that footprint and external dimension.
Typically, media output options such as those described herein are provided as “add-ons” attached to the electrophotographic device. Such output options must be included as part of the path through which a media sheet travels from imaging to developing to fusing as discussed above, and are usually the final stop or endpoint of that media path of travel prior to retrieval by a user. Because a media sheet is most commonly a physical item traveling through a defined path of travel in an electrophotographic device, rather than being transmitted as data, it is uncommon for media output options to be positioned remotely of the device. Most commonly, output options such as a mailbox, an offset stacker, and others must be physically connected to the electrophotographic device, such as to one side or to the front, to allow them to integrate into the media path of travel. Due to this conventional positioning, media output options typically extend beyond the electrophotographic device footprint and may increase the device external dimension. Undesirably, this increases the space required for the device, which space may be at a premium. Even more, this increases the size of packaging required for shipping such devices, increasing cost and labor involved in packaging and transport. It is therefore desirable to include such media output options as described herein without increasing the device footprint and/or external dimension.
One way in which this could be accomplished would be to place the media output option on a top surface of the electrophotographic device. However, most commonly a sheet feeder of known design and function is positioned vertically stacked atop a lid placed directly above the scanning unit, which limits the availability of that surface for inclusion of other devices.
Thus, often the only available space for inclusion of a media output option, without increasing the electrophotographic device footprint, is to place the option within the device body. One way to accomplish that is to place the media output option in a vertically stacked relationship under the scanning unit, but this orientation leads to an additional disadvantage in that the output option, and media sheets contained therein, are at least obscured and may be partially hidden by the scanning unit and possibly the control panel of the electrophotographic device. Even more, the shadowing effect of the overlying scanning unit/control panel may result in a print, copy, or facsimile job lying unattended after completion, due to the inability of the user to see the end product. This undesirably reduces user convenience.
Accordingly, a need is identified in the art for an electrophotographic device providing one or more media output options without increasing the device footprint and/or external dimension, but without creating the disadvantages discussed above.